Though she always seemed in complete control while on stage, the Manchester-born former member of the Happy Mondays had been fighting her alcoholism for years.

However, in a testament to her strength of character, the 43-year-old has since turned her life around and is now starring in The Songs of Sister Act, which comes to the Sunderland Empire next Tuesday.

This strange twist of fate is one which she finds amusing.

"I like dressing up as a nun. It's funny. The gospel choir are probably the best singers I'll ever work with. You don't need to drink with this kind of buzz."

At the root of Rowetta's reliance on drink was her inability to cope with the trauma of a teenage marriage to a violent husband.

Though she put her promising singing career on hold to bear his two children, he would regularly abuse her until finally she managed to escape to a battered wives home.

From this point onwards, her career began to blossom, first singing on the Simply Red album Stars in 1987, and later joining 'Madchester's' finest The Happy Mondays in 1990.

She explained how she came to join Sean Ryder and Bez on the ultimate rock and roll rollercoaster.

"I thought they were amazing. The manager said 'we don't want a girl', but they saw me with another band and liked me."

Within a matter of weeks Rowetta was performing on Top of the Pops, playing Wembley Arena and enjoying a UK Top five single with Step On.

Now part of the Happy Mondays family, she would feature heavily on many of the songs on the critically-acclaimed album, Pills, Thrills N Bellyaches, and tour with them across Europe and the US.

"With the Mondays I never felt like a backing singer stood at the back," she said.

"All the producers (from the albums), such as Paul Oakenfield and Talking Heads, asked me 'What do you want to do?' and I would guide the vocals."

"We had a great time in the US, as I was like the sister to the band. Yes, it was mad and we drank too much, but it was a lot of fun!"

After they split in 1992, Rowetta decided to spend some much-needed time with her children Georgina and Derek, and started writing songs.

Though kept busy with various projects for more than a decade, she longed for the buzz of performing in front of live audiences again, so in 2004 entered ITV's X Factor.

Though she became an instant favourite of judge Simon Cowell, many fans of her previous work were not happy.

"I was 38 and thought it could only do good," she said. "There was no age limit, so I did it out of curiosity, as I wasn't doing too much other singing then.

"I was getting e-mails from people saying 'what are you doing?' as they thought I had lost credibility."

This, coupled with the pressure of having to go back to being an anonymous singer, took its toll and she soon found herself drinking again.

"I'd never had to audition before. I ended up drinking, but it all turned out all right."

Indeed it did, as she went on to become 'the last woman standing', coming in fourth place.

Thankfully, all that now seems behind Rowetta and she is enjoying a new purple patch of creativity with the Sister Act choir who genuinely seem to inspire her.

"When the choir are singing, I stand at the side crying sometimes as it sounds so beautiful."

So has she totally give up on the rock and roll lifestyle?

"I'm going to be godmother to Bez's son Leo. I can't wait," she said "It's going to be a big party, but I've given up drinking." Amen to that!

Tickets for the show, which starts at 7.30pm, cost £18.50. For box office information, call 0844 847 2499.

* The Gazette has three pairs of tickets to give away and to be in with a chance all you have to do is answer this question: Which city is Rowetta from?

Send your answer on a postcard, with a daytime telephone number, to Johnny Wilson, Shields Gazette, Chapter Row, South Shields, NE33 1BL, or e-mail it to johnny.wilson@northeast-press.co.uk by 4pm on Friday 15.